Chapter 72

72 The Relentless Wolf

On the night of their eighteenth birthday, all werewolves would be paired with their wolves. They met their wolves in a dreamscape and woke up to them as life companions as well as the ability to shapeshift into said wolves. It marked their first step into adulthood.

Every werewolf pup was excited to hear about this story. All of them greatly anticipated their eighteenth birthday, all the while praying to the Moon Goddess to bestow them with the strongest, the coolest, and the bravest wolf of all time. The wolf of the wolves! The king of the wolves!

Unlike the others, Lucien prayed for a wolf that was in touch with his sensible nature. Either the Moon Goddess misheard his prayer or wished to reward him, Lucien ended up getting paired with Landon, one of the strongest and fiercest wolves of his generation. Landon was the kind of wolf that most alpha werewolves dreamed to be paired with. He was not only strong but also beautiful, with a ferocious but at the same time enchanting character. Very much like a double-edged blade that kept his owners on their toes at all times. Only the bravest ones should attempt to wield it.

That was not all.

Landon was extremely willful and stubborn. Although young Lucien was supposed to retain control over his body, he often lost against Landon in the early days. Landon then randomly forced Lucien to transform just so he could go around and have fun in a wolf body. Only when he got bored would he let Lucien return to his human body.

It was not after several months had passed that Lucien developed enough mental fortitude to master his own body and gain Landon’s acceptance. Even then, Landon was never submissive toward Lucien. It was simply not his nature. A wolf like Landon was meant to walk side-by-side with Lucien. That was also what Lucien had in mind. A companion and not a pet.

It was rare for a wolf who already left to return to his paired human being, but it did happen in some instances throughout the history of werewolves. The process was pretty much the same as the first time. It involved a pair of a human being and a wolf that tried to accommodate to each other in order to occupy the same body without breaking into a fight. It was a painful but also rewarding process in the end.

Lucien’s fever worsened throughout the week. He was barely lucid enough to respond to people who came to his bedside and spoke to him. The only one who stayed by his side at all times was still Landon, who he had to come to peace with.

Unfortunately, for Landon peace only came if Lucien adhered to his bidding.

.....

‘I want you to break the marriage promise to that Alpha of Night Prowler Pack,’ so the wolf demanded.

Best

Coincidentally, Lucien wanted the exact opposite and would like Landon to agree with him.

‘A promise is a promise,’ Lucien insisted. ‘He is a good person. He will take good care of us. And our pack.’

Landon snorted.

‘Ronan can do that as well.’

Not Ronan again.

‘I can almost understand why you were unable to rely on him seven years ago. He was just a pathetic little pup back then. But look at him now! Why didn’t you take him into consideration?’

It was not as if Landon did not know why. The reason was still the same as the one seven years ago.

‘Landon, Ronan is off-limit,’ Lucien declared.

‘Who says that?’

‘I do.’

Landon sometimes wished he could beat Lucien up in a fight. If they did not share the same body, he might do that a few times just to make a point.

‘I will never accept Kinnon Youngshaper and his wolf as our mate. Remember that.’

‘Landon...’

‘Unless you want me to leave again?’

Lucien sighed.

‘Of course not. We are a team.’

A delighted growl was heard coming from the wolf.

‘Then as a good teammate, you will listen to me.’

Landon seemed to have mistaken teammates for subordinates.

‘As teammates, we should come to a compromise,’ Lucien pointed out.

‘I am all about compromises. Just don’t hang around Kinnon Youngshaper anymore.’

‘I don’t think that’s an option.’

‘Why not?’

‘I am going to be the Luna of his pack.’

‘Then you will be known as the Luna who kills the Alpha on the first wedding night.’

‘...’

‘Don’t test me, Lucien. You know I am more than capable to do it.’

Of course he was. He already proved it on the night Lucien and Kinnon wanted to consummate their relationship.

And on the day Kinnon came to visit him in the hospital.

Landon’s hostility toward Kinnon stemmed from his determination to stay with Ronan. It was almost unfair to Kinnon how Landon was so at ease with Ronan.

Is it because of the fated mate connection?

After all this time, why?

Ronan...

“Ronan...”

Lucien breathed out the man’s name in his sleep, unaware that the very man was sitting at his bedside at the moment. Ronan was looking through a report that Milroy put together by his request.

Ronan looked up as soon as he heard Lucien calling out to him. He set the papers aside and went to sit at Lucien’s bedside.

“Hey...” he whispered at Lucien, but the latter did not respond.

He was still unconscious after all.

Ronan pulled the blanket to Lucien’s chin and tucked his arms in.

The man on the bed was red in the face due to a high fever. There was a slight crease on his forehead and his eyelashes fluttered restlessly. It looked like he was plagued by a nightmare.

“Ronan...” He called out again.

Ronan patted Lucien’s head. His skin felt hot against his cold hand.

“I am here,” he whispered. “Don’t think too much about anything else, Lucien. Just rest.”

He himself did not think that he could rest that night. Not after what he read.